Setting Out

On the final day, Zhou Yang did not return covered in injuries again, though he was not much better off. On the road, it was obvious that his legs trembled every time they touched the ground.

Even so, Zhou Yang still did not remove the weights from his legs and persisted all the way home. However, once he got there, he could no longer hold on. Like a student tossing aside a schoolbag after class, he flung off his weights instead.

The moment he removed them, he felt as though his body were about to float away. Lying down on the bed made him feel so comfortable that he let out a groan.

Nan returned home at this time as well. Seeing Zhou Yang collapsed on the bed from exhaustion, she said nothing and simply began preparing food. Since Zhou Yang was going on a mission tomorrow, she did not plan to restrict his appetite as she had yesterday.

However, they had no source of income. They only received a small amount of aid because they were ninja academy students and orphans, so their ingredients were ordinary and nowhere near as lavish as those in Hanzo's home.

Around the time Nan had nearly finished making dinner, Zhou Yang woke up. The first thing he did was put his weights back on. Their weight was still no small burden to him, so he had to seize every moment to adapt to them.

This family dinner was unexpectedly quiet. The only sounds were bowls and chopsticks clinking together. Zhou Yang did not know what to say either, and for some reason, the atmosphere felt rather heavy.

"What's going on? Why are you making it seem like I'm heading to the execution ground? Isn't it just a simple mission?" Zhou Yang looked at the silent Nan, his heart in turmoil.

Although he wanted to say something comforting, as a longtime anime fan, he knew such comforting words were usually flags. For the sake of completing the mission successfully, he held them back.

"I'm done eating." Nan, who had eaten less, was the first to set down her bowl and chopsticks. She simply sat there and watched Zhou Yang, leaving him even more unsure of what to do. He could only focus on dealing with the food in front of him and avoid thinking about it.

After eating, Zhou Yang had intended to help clean up, but Nan stopped him. Pointing at the bed, she said, "What you need most right now is rest. Get your energy back so you can complete the mission tomorrow in perfect condition."

Looking at that huge pile of bowls and chopsticks, Zhou Yang wanted to refuse, but under Nan's gaze, he was defeated once more. He obediently went to bed and closed his eyes.

There were so many dishes that it took Nan some time to wash them all. By the time she finished, Zhou Yang was already fast asleep. She could not help smiling at the sight of him sleeping soundly. Then she lit an oil lamp and began reviewing her lessons. She had wanted to sleep peacefully with Zhou Yang on this crucial night, but she did not, because she believed her husband was unbeatable.

As usual, Zhou Yang endured the painful period and returned home. By then, Nan had already gotten dressed and was waiting for him at the door.

Zhou Yang was first surprised to see Nan, then somewhat embarrassed. He had wanted to leave without a sound, but it seemed his wife had already seen through his thoughts.

Nan took out the prepared dry rations and put them into his bag. After he changed clothes, she carefully straightened his outfit, then said in her usual tone, "Come back early."

"Mm!"

With that, Zhou Yang slung his bag over his shoulder, along with the long sword he had looted from Hanzo, and disappeared into the dawn. Nan stood at the doorway, watching him go until he had vanished far, far into the distance.

"Hey, Zhou Yang, catch." As Zhou Yang ran, a figure suddenly appeared in a tree ahead and tossed something down. The voice was familiar. Zhou Yang caught it instinctively, and in the fading light, he saw the man's face. It was Shi, one of Amegakure's core members and one of its twelve Upper Ninjas.

The item in Zhou Yang's hand was Amegakure's symbol—a forehead protector. Seeing his confusion, Shi briefly explained, "Things haven't been peaceful lately, so wear this. It'll prove you're one of us and keep others from mistaking you for a wandering ninja."

Understanding what Shi meant, Zhou Yang put it on immediately.

"Kid, this mission won't be so simple for you. Be careful. I don't want the next time I see you to be when you're a corpse." As his voice grew fainter, Shi vanished into the forest, and Zhou Yang resumed his journey.

Only along the way did Zhou Yang understand why Shi had said things were not peaceful. He saw far too many unfamiliar ninja. He did not know many ninja to begin with, but these people wore no forehead protectors and had killing intent written all over their faces. They were undoubtedly wandering ninja. If they had removed their forehead protectors to conceal their identities, then they were most likely carrying out some confidential mission. And for such missions, making a spectacle of themselves was the last thing they would do.

Seeing so many wandering ninja, Zhou Yang could not help wondering, Why hasn't Hanzo sent anyone to drive them away?

With that question in mind, he entered a roadside tavern. Since he did not like alcohol, he ordered some food instead. Apart from half his face, his entire body was concealed beneath a cloak. Judging by his build, he truly looked like a child.

He turned to a drunken middle-aged man nearby and asked, "Why have there been so many strangers around here lately?"

The man had been drinking merrily when a little kid suddenly interrupted him. His first instinct was to drive Zhou Yang away, but when he noticed the forehead protector on Zhou Yang's head, a bead of sweat rolled down his face and half his drunkenness vanished. He hurriedly suppressed his earlier thought and forced a smile. "Lord Ninja, I'm not too sure either, but I heard they came from other countries."

"Oh. All right, carry on drinking."

"Yes, yes." Though Zhou Yang's voice was unmistakably childish, the man did not dare look down on him. Becoming a ninja at such a young age? He did not believe Zhou Yang had no backing. Besides, whether the kid was truly young was another question. The Ninja World was full of strange things. Who knew whether an adult face hid beneath that childlike voice?

Having obtained the information, Zhou Yang slowly ate the food before him while pondering why this was happening. Wandering ninja did not like gathering together, especially in a country like this. There was barely enough meat to go around already, so with several more wolves added to the mix, how were they supposed to survive?

"Wait, unless they sensed danger. They sensed danger in the other great nations... Could it be? Has the war already begun? That shouldn't be right. I remember that Amegakure was the central battleground of the Second Shinobi World War. Wait, could my appearance have changed Hanzo's mind?" Zhou Yang fell into a storm of thoughts.

"Even if Hanzo wanted to stay away from this war, it would be impossible because of the Land of Rain's location. And Hanzo shouldn't have had the time to spar with me. Wait, maybe it isn't war? But isn't this the most sensitive matter at this point in time? War, war... I was trapped by my previous way of thinking. War doesn't necessarily happen out in the open. It can take many forms. Just like my former job as a programmer—there were internet wars too. Since ninja are the military force here, there must naturally be wars unique to them. That's right. The great nations must have already grown restless, but it will still be some time before full-scale war breaks out!"

It had to be said that Zhou Yang's mind was quite sharp. After all that analysis, he had actually figured out most of it.